Odisha HRD

Berhampur University teams up with ICICI to offer PG Diploma in Banking and Insurance Management

5 comments May 12th, 2008

Primary education in Orissa: an op-ed in Samaja

The op-ed writer, a retired school teacher, analyzes the problems  and suggests the following steps to be taken immediately:

• Require that teachers in govt. primary school have a qualification of a Bachelors degree rather than the current requirement of a Matric + CT.
• Establish a model primary school (similar to Novodaya Vidyalayas) in each block.
• Teach English from the first grade.
• Have kindergarden class in each primary school and integrate playing with studying in this class and have attractive text books.

1 comment May 12th, 2008

Three to four new national labs coming up in West Bengal

Following is an excerpt from a news report in Indian Express.

These are the National Institute of Medical Genetics, funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, the National Institute of Nanoscience and Technology, funded by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Institute of Mangrove and Coastal Studies, funded by the Department of Environment.

“The institutes for medical genetics and nanoscience technology are coming up at Baruipur. About 25 acres of land have been identified for the purpose and the government had approved it last year,” …

Efforts are on to develop Baruipur as the new educational hub where infrastructure for educational institutes will be developed, added Majumdar. “The Coastal Research Centre will cater to the entire coastline of the country and will come up near Sunderbans,” he said. The National Institute of Translation Research is also likely to be constructed here and discussions are on with CSIR for funding the project.

The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, which promotes basic sciences, has started its functioning in the city in 2006. … and will soon have its own campus at Haringhata. The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research which has been holding its classes at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology will also have a campus of its own soon, said officials.

1 comment May 12th, 2008

HRD initiatives of UP: an IIT and an IISc type institute in the offing

Following is an excerpt from a report in http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=442287&sid=REG.

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Saturday gave its approval to set up two institutes of the level of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) under public-private partnership basis.

According to the cabinet decision, the proposed institutes would be set up with an estimated investment of Rs 500 crore each.

An official release issued here said that the cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Mayawati also decided to set up two engineering colleges with private participation in the backward eastern region of Ambedkar Nagar and Azamgarh.

An investment of Rs 200 crore is expected on them.

As many as 50 polytechnics would also be set up in public-private partnership costing Rs 20 crore each.

There is also a proposal to set up 250 ITIs in as many development blocks with an investment of Rs two crore each.

Besides, private investment would also be open for Upgrading facilities in existing polytechnics and ITIs, the release said.

A decision was also taken to bring the Lucknow Institute of Engineering and Technology into the ambit of the UP Technical University (UPTU) as an associate degree college.

The cabinet also decided to include the Lucknow College of Architecture as one of the faculties of UPTU.

It also decided to introduce English from class I.

May 11th, 2008

Vedanta adopts 400 Anganwadis

Update: Hindu also has a detailed report on this.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer.

As part of its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility exercise, Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), Lanjigarh, has adopted all the 400 Anganwadis in six blocks of Kalahandi district under a project, Bal Chetna, in association with Sterlite Foundation and Government of Orissa through private-public partnership.

… The people were quite happy and enthusiastic about the new project, Bal Chetna, which will take care of their children’s health, nutrition and early education. Vedanta has already earned a good name for successfully operating 32 Child Care Centres with 1,139 children in the 18 peripheral villages at Lanjigarh. With free uniforms, nutritious midday meals, afternoon snacks and proper grooming, these centres have already laid a solid foundation for nurturing the future generation.

People are sure that children of areas beyond the peripheral villages and those of the entire district will now have access to similar facilities that can ensure a better future for them. The Collector said the Bal Chetna project would not only ensure a bright future for children but also open direct and indirect growth opportunities for the local youth. VAL vice-president Dr Mukesh Kumar said the company’s objective of taking up the project is to significantly upgrade the Anganwadi services under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).

Vedanta intends to bring in visible improvement in the quality of education of the children, especially, the underprivileged, in the age group 0-5 years, by providing five-fold services that include play way method of learning, nutritious food, improvement in health status with focus on anaemia reduction and logistic support like education materials.

May 11th, 2008

IIIT Bhubaneswar next batch class to start in August 2008: entrance exam on June 22nd 2008

Following is from http://iiit-bh.in/website/admissions.htm.

Apply On Line for Admission 2008

Down Load Admission Bulletin 2008

Admission Process Dates

• Advertisement for Admission to M.Tech programme : 6th May 2008
• On Line application : Begins on 6th May
• Last date Receipt of DD : 16th June 2008
• Entrance Examination: 22nd June 2008
• Interview: To be announced
• Publication of Results: To be announced
• Academic Session Begins : To be announced

May 10th, 2008

CM promises to write Delhi about central university in Kalahandi

Following is from a report in New Indian Express.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has assured a delegation from Kalahandi district that he will pressurise the Centre to set up a central university in Kalahandi district.

A 25-member delegation led by Minister of State for Law and Employment Pradipta Kumar Nayak met the Chief Minister at the Secretariat on Tuesday. The delegation impressed upon the Chief Minister about the need for establishment of a central university in Kalahandi district as it is educationally backward.

The district has all infrastructure facilities for establishment of a central university and the demand has been pending since 1988, the delegation comprising former ministers Balabhadra Majhi, Himansu Sekhar Meher and legislator Pushpendra Singhdeo said.

After hearing from the delegation, Naveen assured that he will write a letter to Human Resources Development (HRD) ministry about setting up the varsity in Kalahandi.

3 comments May 8th, 2008

Ph.D production at IIT Delhi; Job opportunities for Ph.Ds

Following is an excerpt from a report in indiaedunews.

As per the last year records, 140 PhDs were awarded to engineering graduates by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) highlighting the increasing trend of students opting for research.

To further encourage Research and Development, IIT-D has also come up with scholarships up to Rs.20,000/- per month for research students. Furthermore, accommodation and in-house facilities are also being provided to research scholars.

According to Mr. M. Balakrishnan, Dean, Post Graduate Studies and Research at IIT-Delhi, "Industrial Research and Development (R&D) in India, is getting bigger day by day. Today, the private sector employs PhDs in all disciplines- Automobiles, Energy, Environment, Materials."

Mr. Balakrishnan, while disagreeing to the fact that salaries are a constraint for PhD-holders, pointed out, "A PhD done by a researcher in any of the engineering field today is paid anywhere between Rs.8 lakh to Rs.16 lakh per annum."

He further added that, the companies involved in the technology establishment pay the highest amount, "Companies such as Google and Yahoo, who work with new technologies, pay the highest amount to the researchers."

May 8th, 2008

Revised Tender for construction of housing complex for AIIMS like institute in Bhubaneswar

Update: Amendment to this tender.

Latest from http://www.mohfw.nic.in/tenders.html (see also http://mohfw.nic.in/tenders.htm):

Construction of Housing complex for AIIMS like institutions under PMSSY at RAIPUR (CHATTISHGARH) / BHUBANESHWAR (ORRISA) /PATNA, RISHIKESH

Some details about the tender:

• Release label: May 2008
• Tender number: HSCC//BU-/155 D&E/2008
• Estimated cost: 60 crores
• Completion period of work: 15 months
• Date of issue of tender document: 5/9/2008 – 6/9/08 up to 1:00 PM
• Bid security: 61 lakhs

Earlier links are at https://www.orissalinks.com/?p=970.

May 8th, 2008

PIB: Educational Complex in Low Literacy Pocket for Development of Women Literacy in Tribal Areas

Following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=38541.

Rajya Sabha 

  No project has been sanctioned in the last three years (2005-06 to 2007-08) in districts other than identified low literacy districts and areas having Primitive Tribal Groups (PTG) girls population under the scheme “Educational Complex in Low Literacy Pocket for Development of Women Literacy in Tribal Areas”, revised and renamed as “Strengthening education among ST girls in low literacy districts” in 2007-08.

            The details of identified districts under the scheme “Educational Complex in Low Literacy Pockets for Development of Women Literacy in Tribal Areas” in which the projects were sanctioned during the last three years is annexed.

            The Government is implementing the Literacy Programmes of National Literacy Mission in 597 districts of the country with special focus on female literacy, a targeted scheme of strengthening education among Scheduled Tribe girls in low literacy districts, as well as, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan with specific components to improve girls education in all districts of the country.

            This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shri M.A.A. Fatmi in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

…..

HB/ SB/PB

Annexure

May 7th, 2008

Tamilnadu plans to establish ten new universities

Following is an excerpt from a report in chennaionline.com.

Tamil Nadu Government proposed to establish as many as ten Universities, including the World Class University, sanctioned by the Centre during this year, Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi announced in the state assembly today.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for his department, he said all the ten universities, including three sanctioned by the centre, would be established during this year itself, which was a record in the history of education in the country. …

The World Class University would be established in Coimbatore, he said, adding apart from this, the centre has also sanctioned a Management University, to be established in Tiruchirapalli and Central University in Mr Karunanidhi’s home town, Tiruvarur, he said.

The minister said after the National Knowlege Commission presented its report, suggesting that the number of Universities in the country should be raised to atleast 1,500 in the coming years, Tamil Nadu took the cue and decided to establish seven Universities this year.

Accordingly, the 168-year-old Presidency College, which produced scholars like Sir C V Raman, S Chandrasekar and Mathematician Srinivasa Varadan, would start functioning as unitary type University from the academic year 2008-09.

The other unitary type Universities to come up are the Kumbakonam Men’s Arts College, which was described as the Cambridge of South India along with Kumbakonam Women’s college, the 156-year-old Coimbatore Government Arts College, along with Women’s Arts college and Queen Mary’s college, the first college to be established for women, he said.

So it looks like the IIM in Tamil Nadu will be in Trichy.

May 6th, 2008

Andhra Pradesh to have a world class university in Kadapa: Orissa should have one in Rourkela

Update 1: It looks like my assumption below that the university at Kadapa is a state one was wrong. As per Times of India, the AP government just decided to change the venue of the world class central university from Vizag to Kadapa.

Update 2: Later reports mention that the AP government did not ask the center before making the Kadapa announcement and the central govt. may not agree to shift the location from Vizag to Kadapa.

Initial post:

Following is an excerpt from newpostindia.com.

The meeting also decided to set up a world-class university in Kadapa, the home district of the chief minister, for which the government will allot 700 acres of land.

In this regard, one may note that the central government had announced that it will establish a world class central university in Vizag. I assume the Andhra Pradesh Government is talking about a different university (state funded) for Kadapa.

The Orissa government should follow Andhra’s example and besides the central govt. funded world class university in Bhubaneswar and another central university in KBK, the Orissa government should establish a world class university in Rourkela via state funds or PPP.

5 comments May 5th, 2008

Utkal University offers Masters in Finance and Control: ad in Samaja

1 comment May 5th, 2008

Sushree group of institutions in Balangir

Their web page is http://www.sushreetech.com/sushree.htm. At present they manage the following programs:

• Diploma in Engineering
• ITI
• Nursing
• Plus 2 science: Pioneer reports that they are in the process of making their plus 2 college a residential college.

May 5th, 2008

Council of Analytical Tribal Studies (COATS) Koraput

The following is an excerpt from http://orissagov.nic.in/pa/cabinet/27.2.07.pdf.

The Council of Analytical Tribal Studies (COATS) is a prestigious institution which is the first of its kind established by a voluntary organization to undertake extensive studies on tribals and their problems with the sole object of supplementing the efforts of Govt. in the sphere of socio-economic development of tribals in this area of their predominance which is an epitome of tribal problems in the State. Its headquarters is  at Koraput which was inaugurated by Late Biju Patnaik, the then Hon’ble Chief Minister of Orissa on the 9th day of January, 1993. The institution has the distinct feature in contrast to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Training and Research Institute, Bhubaneswar functioning under the administrative control of the S.Ts & S.Cs Development Deptt. of Govt. of Orissa, providing training facilities which are only confined to  govt. servants, where as COATS imparts training to all ( both Govt. servants & N.G.Os) apart from providing wider scope in the spheres of teaching and research to those interested in tribal affairs and allied matters. The important activities amongst others of the institution include coaching  students for M.Phil degree in Tribal Studies. The Regional Director of Education, Berhampur in his office order No.4593 dt.7.10.2002 has granted recognition in favour of the Council in the district of Koraput for M.Phil in ‘Tribal Studies’ with 16 seats from the academic session 2002-2003.

1 comment May 4th, 2008

Cabinet approves establishment of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs

Following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=38385.

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of Indian Institute of Corporate affairs with an outlay of Rs. 211.00 crores during 11th Plan. The institute would provide a Think-tank, Capacity building and Service Delivery support in various initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Earlier news reported that it will be located in Maneswar, near Gurgaon.

May 1st, 2008